Health News Roundup: KFC tells customers to hold off on the 'Finger Lickin' for now; Two European patients re-infected with coronavirus and more

In an era when face masks and hand-washing have become the norm and health officials are recommending people to stop touching their faces, KFC said the slogan "doesn't feel quite right." Exclusive: FDA commissioner disputes Trump, says no 'deep state' thwarting vaccine The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not harbor "deep state" elements, the agency's head told Reuters on Monday, rejecting criticism from President Donald Trump that staff there were trying to delay a coronavirus vaccine.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Oxford coronavirus vaccine data could go to regulators this year

Trial data for the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca's possible coronavirus vaccine could be given to regulators this year but corners cannot be cut to speed up approval for emergency use, a scientist leading the trials said on Tuesday. The Oxford vaccine produced an immune response in its first human trials, underlining its position as one of the leading candidates in the race to combat a virus that has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths and crippled the global economy.

Two European patients re-infected with coronavirus

Two European patients are confirmed to have been re-infected with the coronavirus, raising concerns about people's immunity to the virus as the world struggles to tame the pandemic. The cases, in Belgium and the Netherlands, follow a report this week by researchers in Hong Kong about a man there who had been re-infected with a different strain of the virus four and a half months after being declared recovered - the first such re-infection to be documented.

KFC tells customers to hold off on the 'Finger Lickin' for now

Kentucky Fried Chicken is temporarily suspending its long-time advertisement slogan "it's finger lickin' good", calling it inappropriate in the current COVID-19 pandemic situation where personal hygiene has become top priority to stem transmission. In an era when face masks and hand-washing have become the norm and health officials are recommending people to stop touching their faces, KFC said the slogan "doesn't feel quite right."

Exclusive: FDA commissioner disputes Trump, says no 'deep state' thwarting vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not harbor "deep state" elements, the agency's head told Reuters on Monday, rejecting criticism from President Donald Trump that staff there were trying to delay a coronavirus vaccine. Dr. Stephen Hahn said he was completely confident that FDA workers were focused solely on the interests of the American people during the coronavirus pandemic.

Wild polio sufferers reflect as Africa set to be declared free of the disease

Nigerian Gbemisola Ijigbamigbe's right leg was virtually paralysed after she contracted wild polio aged 11 months. Now the 28-year-old leads an active life as a wheelchair basketball player and also enjoys swimming and kayaking. "Polio is not a death sentence," she told Reuters, smiling.

Pandemic pace slows worldwide except for southeast Asia, eastern Mediterranean: WHO

The COVID-19 pandemic is still expanding, but the rise in cases and deaths has slowed globally, except for southeast Asia and the eastern Mediterranean regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. In its latest epidemiological update, issued on Monday night, it said that the Americas remains the hardest-hit region, accounting for half of newly reported cases and 62% of the 39,240 deaths worldwide in the past week.

AstraZeneca starts trial of COVID-19 antibody treatment

British drugmaker AstraZeneca has begun testing an antibody-based cocktail for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, adding to recent signs of progress on possible medical solutions to the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The London-listed firm, already among the leading players in the global race to develop a successful vaccine, said the study would evaluate if AZD7442, a combination of two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), was safe and tolerable in up to 48 healthy participants between the ages of 18 and 55 years.

Study shows 6% of people in hotspot German town had COVID-19

About 6% of the residents of a German town that was an early hotspot for the coronavirus had antibodies to COVID-19, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said on Tuesday. Researchers tested 2,153 people in the southern town of Bad Feilnbach between June 23 and July 4 and found about 2.6 times more infections than previously reported. The town had to evacuate a nursing home for elderly people during the outbreak.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Patients reinfected Tokyo governor Koike says coronavirus situation improving, 2021 Games on track

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Tuesday that the novel coronavirus situation in Japan's capital is improving and she's still intent on the city hosting the Olympics next year. "I think the situation is much better than before," Koike said in an interview with Reuters Television. "We will do our best to prevent coronavirus infections here in Japan and also to welcome the athletes from all over the world."